We all want a camera with as many megapixels as possible.
But, there is so much more to photo quality than resolution.
One such issue that you’ll come across often is lens distortion.
If you’re a beginner photographer, chances are, you won’t even notice it.
But, it is a good idea to learn what it is and the necessary steps to tackle it.
What Is Lens Distortion?
Image Credit: WolfWings/Wikimedia Commons
We say a photo is “distorted” when the lines and shapes look misshaped.
This happens due to issues in your lens or because of how the lens is designed.
A lens is made of many optical elements that refract and bend the light rays.
Image Credit: WolfWings/Wikimedia Commons
Sometimes, the geometrics of a lens can cause distortion in the image.
Distortion is common in low-quality lenses, but even expensive lenses can suffer from distortion.
If you’re a fan of wide-angle lenses, you will know that distortion is typical in them.
Image Credit: WolfWings/Wikimedia Commons
Regardless, there areseveral benefits to owning a wide-angle lens.
Fish-eye lenses are designed to distort the photos purposefully.
Different types of distortion will need different correction techniques.
Image Credit: WolfWings/Wikimedia Commons
There are two main types of lens distortion.
Optical Distortion
This key in of distortion occurs due to your lens' optics.
However, if a lens is curvilinear, the straight lines appear curved.
Image Credit: Zora/Wikimedia Commons
A fish-eye lens is the perfect example of a curvilinear lens.
Although standard lenses are designed as rectilinear lenses, all lenses suffer from varying degrees of distortion.
Optical distortion can occur in three ways.
So, the corners end up squished in the frame.
Pincushion Distortion
Imagine a pincushionyou can see the pin pulling the corners in.
Similarly, you will notice the straight lines bending inward in pincushion distortion.
It looks like the exact opposite of barrel distortion.
And the culprits causing it are the opposite of wide-angle lensestelephoto lenses, especially the zoom ones.
Mustache Distortion
This jot down of distortion is a combination of barrel and pincushion distortion.
Perspective Distortion
This jot down of distortion has nothing to do with your lens.
Instead, it happens due to the camera’s position and distance from the subject.
Extension (Wide-Angle) Distortion
Have you tried using your wide-angle lens for portrait photos?
You probably would have hated the result.
A wide-angle lens can make the faces appear unnaturally big.
But, this is not the wide-angle lens' fault.
The problem is you’re too close to your subject.
Generally, objects that are very close to you will appear larger.
This is because you tend to stay too close to the subject with a wide-angle lens.
When you use a telephoto lens, you’re forced to step back from your subject.
That’s the reason why telephoto lenses are one of thepreferred lenses for portrait photos.
In short, extension distortion extends the distance between the foreground and background.
This happens due to the angle of view, and the nearest part to you looks disproportionately bigger.
Compression (Telephoto) Distortion
In compression distortion, the objects farther away appear unusually large.
Essentially, it is the opposite of extension distortion and happens in telephoto zoom lenses.
Compression distortion closes the distance between the foreground and background, making the image look compressed.
For instance, Lightroom has a Lens Corrections option.
Here’s aguide on using Lens Corrections in Lightroom.
Mustache distortion, on the other hand, will require special software to correct.
And, for telephoto lenses, opt for a wide aperture so that the background details are blurred.
It works well for perspective distortion.
Using Distortion Artistically
you might certainly leave your image distorted and call it artistic freedom.
Lenses like fish-eye and tilt-shift are made for this purpose.
But know the rules before you break them.
It is not a big deal, but it can be annoying.
Also, invest in good quality lenses to reduce distortion in your photos.
If all else fails, you have post-production software to your rescue.
